Recipe: Creme Brulee French Toast

by Cate on June 4, 2008

“Some people relax by watching tv. Cate cooks.” So said my sister over Memorial Day weekend. I’m sure it had nothing to do with the fact that I had planned the menu for the 9 meals while we were all down the shore. ;) Using both new and tried-and-true recipes, I kept a mindful eye on keeping the in-kitchen time to under an hour for each meal. After all, although I do love to cook, I wanted to have time to enjoy the long weekend with my family too.

I don’t remember how I first stumbled on this recipe for Creme Brulee French Toast on All Recipes’ web site, but I’m glad I did. I did the prep work the night before, and it literally took just minutes. On the morning I served it, I had nothing more to do than pop it in the oven to bake for a bit. Served alongside a few slices of bacon, it was the perfect way to start the day.

Seriously, you must make this. It borders on OMG goodness, and the best part is the Creme Brulee-like crust on the bottom. See that little brown piece on the bottom right side of the picture? Heaven. So, so good… and a fantastic reward for such minimal effort.

Creme Brulee French ToastRecipe courtesy of AllRecipes

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons corn syrup

6 (1 inch thick) slices French bread (you need way more since French bread slices are small; I used about half a loaf)

5 eggs (because of the extra bread, I added an extra egg)

1-1/2 cups half-and-half cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon brandy-based orange liqueur (Grand Marnier®) (I skipped)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Mix in brown sugar and corn syrup, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Pour into a 9×13 inch baking dish.

Remove crusts from bread, and arrange in the baking dish in a single layer. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half, vanilla extract, orange brandy, and salt. Pour over the bread. Cover, and chill at least 8 hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove the dish from the refrigerator, and bring to room temperature.

Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until puffed and lightly browned.